Donkey leads escaped herd of goats and sheep through California neighborhood

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WEST COVINA, Calif. - In an incident police described as "one for the books," a lone donkey was found leading a herd of goats and sheep through residential streets of West Covina after escaping from a property in a neighboring city on Thursday.

Officers responded to the area of Francisquito and Valinda avenues around 12:30 a.m. after receiving a call of a group of animals roaming a neighborhood, according to a post on the West Covina Police Department's Facebook page.

And that was exactly what they found when they arrived at the location -- a lone donkey leading several goats and sheep through residential streets.

At first, the animals "failed to comply" with police orders as they "evaded capture," prompting officers to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for assistance, the post stated.

Eventually, authorities managed to corral the group.

Police later discovered the donkey, goats, and sheep slipped through an unsecured gate from a property in nearby Valinda. They contacted the owner, who responded and helped herd the animals back to his home.

"When a police officer reaches the end of his/her career, most of them will say 'I’ve seen it all,'" the post read. "Well, let’s add one more rare call for service to that list."